Tactic of Dead point

In hand-to-hand combat dead point is a tactical principle that leads to victory. It's a precious core of combat learning. The secrets of this principle were revealed to me by my friend and teacher Anatoly Dadul. From him I got a well-defined concept which allows purposefully and consciously comprehend the basics of combat tactics.

Dead point is a moment when the opponent is the most vulnerable and open. It's a gap where he is peacefully sleeping, but next he will wake up. Dead point occurs at the moment of irreversibility - the opponent started an action, it got the inertial force and is steadily pressing towards its completion. The first moment is the beginning of his action, the second moment is the completion. And there's a gap between these two moments. You should strike exactly into this gap.

There are three cores in the combat art:
- correct tactics - when to strike
- correct technique - how to strike
- state of mind - readiness to strike

Before a combative way of thinking is formed, you should work out till your movements become automatic. A fighter shouldn't get distracted with technique. All movements must be perfected faultlessly and performed reflexively. Then the fighter focuses only on tactics, which key is the knowledge of the dead point.

Regardless of your physical ability, stamina, speed and strength, if you catch your opponent in the dead point, you'll knock him out.

The next action can't start until the previous has been completed. While an action is being done, it's impossible to perform another one: you can't dodge, block, jink, add or detract. There's no foothold for such a change at the moment of the dead point.

Knockout punch or successful throw would not have been so, if they had been done out of the dead point. Attentively observing and analyzing famous knockouts you can see how naturally the dead point occurs and how a strike penetrates into it. Conscious or unconscious use of the dead point principle can be observed not only in martial arts, but also in free-style wrestling, fencing and even table tennis.

The dead point can be not only physical, but also psychological. For example, I apologize in order to avoid a conflict. Perceiving my apologies only as a sign of weakness the aggressor keeps on pressing me. Now he's in the dead point and I can attack. Wrong worldview, out-of-control emotions and excessive self-conceit lead us to a psychological dead point. Do with us whatever you want, if there's someone who needs!

In order to avoid getting into a psychological dead point, it is necessary to improve yourself constantly, to raise your level of Consciousness, to stay in the moment of here and now.

Dead point is a point of no return. There are moments after that we can't turn back. It is the Gate of Death. After having passed it a person leaves behind his former self forever. For somebody it's a dead point after which it's impossible to influence the course of life. But there are those for whom it's a starting point where everything just begins!